Following in the footsteps of Peter Kay's hit sitcom Car Share, BBC One thriller New Blood will be the first major drama to debut on iPlayer.

Though the decision was made by the BBC, series creator Anthony Horowitz told Digital Spy that he is "absolutely delighted" about the unique launch.

"If I had a slight concern, it was only that the viewing figures might look lower than they are, because people had already seen it on iPlayer - but I was assured that wouldn't be the case," he explained.

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"If you're writing a show which is about the younger generation, then you've got to adapt to the way young people are watching television."

That's not all that's unique about New Blood, though. Unusually for a 'buddy' series, the two leads barely cross paths in the first episode - and don't team up officially till the third.

"There was a lot of discussion, in the development of the script, as to whether that was a good idea," Horowitz admitted. "Would the audience feel deprived of that bromance which is at the heart of the show?

"But I think that it does work - you get this sense that they've got to come together, you must see them together... and that I think is the fun of the show and very much the energy of the first three episodes."